


Peace (formerly "All Too Well")

by Slytherin_vikiss



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: F/M, sid being sid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_vikiss/pseuds/Slytherin_vikiss
Summary: Johnny Lawrence was a troubled guy, very few people could get him to let his guard down.Series if one shots telling the story of the one girl who made him happy.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Ali Mills, Daniel LaRusso/Original Female Character(s), Johnny Lawrence/Original Character(s), Johnny Lawrence/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I havent re-read this, but I will.  
> Let me know what you think.

**Summary:** Johnny Lawrence was a troubled guy, very few people could get him to let his guard down.

Series if one shots telling the story of the one girl who made him happy.

Summary: Johnny takes Noelia home to meet his mom.

**Late April/Early May 1983**

  
  


Johnny would never admit it out loud, but he was nervous the first time he bought Noelia home to meet his mom. He had picked her up from home, since she still didn’t have a license and her parents needed the car to go to work anyways, and kept his eyes on the road for most of the trip.

He should've said something. Like how pretty she looked in her pale pink dress, or how nice her hair looked that day (not that it ever looked anything but). Instead, all he managed was a curt “Hey” and he pressed on the gas immediately, not even giving her time to put on her seatbelt. 

She had an attractive lemon pie in her lap, zealously cradled in her hands. It looked good. It looked so damn good, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth, afraid that his voice would shake.

“Do you mind if I switch stations?” she asked, to which he shrugged, and didn’t even complain when that pop shit began to stink his car. He made a face though, and she giggled. He cracked a small smile of his own, and the tension seemed to ease.

When they pulled up to his house, she paled, eyeing the place up and down.

“Uh,...wow.” she mumbled, so soft he almost didn’t catch it. She began to fidget in her seat. “Nice place.”

“Thanks.” he replied, lamely.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither really knowing how to proceed. He knew he should get out of the car, open the door for her and hold the pie so she could get out, but it was like his ass was glued to the leather seat, as if Duth had finally taken revenge from the time he and Jimmy made him get stuck to his bike seat.

“Johnny, are you sure this is a good idea?”

He turned. Noe was already looking at him, the green flecks in her eyes standing out in an almost unnatural way, as usual. It was hard to focus with eyes like those.

“What?”

“This.” her eyes deviated to the house for a fraction of a second before returning to him. “I don’t think your mom will like me. This is,...I don’t,...” she sighed and uttered something to herself he didn’t understand. “Look, I don’t belong in places like these, unless I’m the help, that is.” the last part came out low and sardonic, but he wasn’t that dumbstruck by her hotness to not catch it.

“Hey, no, c’mon, Noe, don’t say that.” he smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging manner, but her skeptical face told him of the results. “My mom’s been begging me to bring you home.” that wasn’t a lie. Laura had taken to ask every morning if that day was the day she’d meet the lucky girl who put a smile on her boy’s face. He wished she had relented a little, especially the particular day when Jimmy had stayed overnight. The guys still made fun of him. “Seriously, there’s nothing to worry about.” Except his asshole stepfather, but mom had promised he’d be nice. She always kept her promises, but Sid was known for not giving a shit about anything. He knew Laura would forgive him. “Especially with that pie you got.” he reached down to try and lift the lid in the hopes of snatching a few berries, but Noelia’s hand slapped his away. He chuckled and nodded towards the house. “C’mon, I promise it’ll go well. Besides, I already met your folks, so it’s only fair you meet mine.”

Her relenting smile was all the answer he needed, so he got out of his firebird and quickly made his way to the other side, opening the door and accepting the plate she handed him.

She got out a little awkwardly and ran her hands over the skirt of the dress and her fingers through her hair. That last part was to no avail; it was always tangled.

He handed back the plate and closed the door, turning back to the house. To hide his trembling hands, he put one in his pocket and the other on Noe’s back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a curtain moving and held in a snort.

He let her walk in first, and barely closed the door when his mom appeared in the foyer, her blond hair flowing in soft waves, her long, flowery dress making her look like she was gliding rather than walking. She was smiling from her to ear, her blue eyes shining as she looked from her son to Noelia and back, taking in the scene as if it were a miracle come true or something.

He felt Noe tense up, and he softly squeezed her waist.

“Hey mom,” he cleared his throat and quickly hid his other hand again. “This is Noelia. Noe, this is mom, Laura.”

Laura clapped her hands together and put them against her cheek, positively delighted.

“Oh, I’m so happy to finally meet you, dear.” she stepped in front of Noe, who looked like a terrified deer, and proceeded to hug her gently. “I’ve been dying to meet you, but I see why Johnny wanted to keep you for himself.”

“Mom!”

Noe chuckled ungainly.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you, Mrs Lawrence.” she offered her the pie. “I hope you like lemon pie.”

“Oh, dear, you shouldn’t have.” she accepted the dessert and motioned towards the dining room. “It looks so good; where did you buy it?”

“I-I made it, ma’am.”

Laura’s eyes widened slightly.

“Well, now I’m even more excited to try it. Rosa? Could you put this in the fridge, please?”

The table had already been set up for four people, and the first course was being laid out. He knew they were almost late, but that was because someone, ehem, decided to change outfits six times. He had a feeling Noe had just been stalling.

She was looking around the place, the further they advanced the more she pressed herself to his side. He had some idea as to what she was thinking. The place was bigger than her parent’s apartament in Reseda.

He pulled the chair back for her and gently back in before taking his seat to her right. Across from the table, he saw his mother hiding a grin behind a glass of wine.

The seat at the head of the table remained empty, and something told Johnny that Sid would be making an entrance, as usual.

Laura didn’t even look in that direction, placing her forearms on the edge of the table and looking at Noelia.

“So, tell me dear, you moved here about a year ago, right?”

How did she even knew that? Probably Ali or one of her friends.

“Yes, ma’am. My parents and I used to live in Wisconsin.”

“Oh please, call me Laura, dear.” she waved a hand to rest importance to the matter. “And how are you liking it so far?”

“It’s great not having winter anymore.”

His mom kept firing questions, but Johnny relaxed, and little by little, so did Noe. His mom didn’t have a mean bone to her, and her curiosity was starkly genuine. As the minutes passed between them, everyone seemed to forget about Sid’s tardiness. Johnny bent his leg, placing his foot on the seat and an arm around Noe’s chair, joining the conversation here and there. He kept playing with her locks, gently pulling at them here and there, waiting for her to turn with a fake annoyed expression only to play the fool.

Noe was just telling his mom about her singing lessons when they heard the front door slam shut. His girl was the only one to jump, startled, while everyone else remained impassive, having grown too used to Sid’s antics long ago.

He strode into the room, already complaining. Johnny was quick to sit properly, Noe turning to him when she felt the absence of his touch.

“I fired that jackass today. I had it with him!” he was saying, his obnoxiously loud voice not relenting even as he sat.

“Who, honey?” Laura was the only one whose mood didn’t seem too tainted by his presence.

“Barney!” he gave her a look Johnny didn’t appreciate, as if his mom were stupid for not guessing who he was talking about. Right, cause usually, Sid didn’t have anything bad to say about anyone, especially his employees. 

“Oh, and what did he do?”

“The ungrateful bastard had the audacity to come ask me to reconsider his 'paternity leave'.”

Laura hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile onto her face.

“I’m sure you did the right thing.” Sid opened his mouth to keep going, but she cleared her throat and diverted her eyes towards him and Noe, who stared at his stepfather with her mouth slightly agape. “Honey, this is Noelia, Johnny’s girlfriend.”

“Uh. So she is real after all, eh?” he asked, looking her up and down. The cobra didn’t like that at all, so he leaned forward as casually as he could, hiding her at least partially. Sid’s eyes settled on him then. “Or did you have to pay her, boy?”

“Sid.” Laura sighed.

Johnny clenched his jaw.

“I didn’t.”

“Maybe not to come over tonight, but-”

“Oh, look! Dinner is ready.”

Rosa served them the first course as quietly and as quickly as she could, retreating back into the kitchen before Sid found a reason to yell at her as well.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, the teens keeping their eyes mostly on the plate in front of them.

As the main course was served, Laura spoke again.

“Honey, did I tell you that Noelia bought us dessert?” she smiled brightly at the girl, her approval too obvious. “She made it herself, and I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks.”

“Remember Bobby’s birthday, ma? Noe made his cake.”

Laura’s mouth hung open.

“Why, yes! It was simply divine. All those details! And so delicious!” she turned to Noe, beaming. “I didn’t know you made that as well.”

She nodded, returning her smile.

“Yeah; I like making birthday cakes, and Bobby’s mom couldn’t find someone on such short notice, so I offered.”

“Well, it was the talk of the party. It absolutely outshined the birthday boy.”

Noe chuckled as she reached for the glass. His mom wasn’t lying: that cake was the most delicious crap Johnny ever had. It had been a pity that she hadn’t made it to the party, but his boys made sure to let her know how well liked it had been, in great detail.

“So, I take it you like cooking as well as singing?”

Noe nodded more enthusiastically, and the blond teen smiled at her infectious mood.

“Yes! I love it! I was thinking of going to culinary school after I graduate. I thought about being a baker, but I think I’d prefer to be a chef.”

“Or you could be both?” Laura suggested. “Why limit yourself, dear?”

Sid snorted, and Johnny’s mood was ruined again.

“You want your son to marry a  _ cook _ ?” he asked his wife, pointing at him with his knife. He snorted again. “Like it’s not bad enough she’s a-”

“Watch it.” he warned, tense.

“-a gold digging, illegal mexican-”

“Sid!”

“I’m from Winsconsin.”

“Watch it, man!”

"Mom's Italian though…"

“-She also wants to 'work' in a kitchen.” he said it while doing air quotes. “As if serving someone else wasn’t denigrating enough.”

“C’mon, Sid.” Laura threw her napkin on the table, seeming tired of his crap. “Just stop it, please?”

“Why?! You know it’s the truth! Just look at your son?”

“Hey! Enough!”

“He’s a pathetic little loser. You think a hot piece of ass like that would go out with him for his personality?” he said the last word in a flamboyant way as he leaned over to her. 

“Of course I do! Johnny’s a lovely boy.”

“He’s a loser! A good for nothing,...”

Sid and his mom kept on going back and forth, but Johnny didn’t listen anymore. Out of instinct, he reached to his left for his walkman and found Noe’s leg instead. Before he could retreat his hand, she had grabbed it with both of hers, holding his in a tight but comforting grip.

They kept staring at the windows in front of them. This was why he was so nervous. It wasn’t about his mom; he knew she’d love Noe, it was because of that asshole she married.

He just wanted a quiet night with his two favourite girls, as stupid as that sounded. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be a regular night in the Weinberg house if Sid didn’t throw himself into a monologue about how great it was that Johnny wasn’t his kid.

Rosa picked up the plates silently and quickly, but gave the young couple a sympathetic glance.

“Johnny, sweetie, why don’t you give Noelia a tour of the house?” 

“Oh, great! Show her where the safe box is while you’re at it! Hell, I’ll just give her the code!”

“Un-belivable.”

The blond stood, not wasting time and pulling Noe up with him rather harshly. She kept her mouth shut as he led her out of the dining room and of the house all together.

He hurried to his car and opened the door for her, closing it with much more strength than he meant. He got into the driver's seat as well, Sid’s screaming muffled now, and turned on the engine.

He carelessly pulled out of the driveway and into the street, driving off with no real destination in mind.

Noe said nothing for several minutes, and neither did he.

Suddenly he jumped, almost losing control of the wheel, but didn’t react further as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry.”

He scoffed.

“Why’re you apologizing? He’s the one being a dickhead.”

“I know.” she pressed her lips into a thin line. “None of what he said it’s true, Johnny.”

He stopped at a red light and looked at her worried face, relaxing just a tiny bit.

“I know that, babe. Don’t worry. Sid hates everyone, and everyone hates him back, so he hates them even more and wants to make them as miserable as he is.”

“No, shit.” she chuckled. “I really liked your mom though.”

That lifted his spirits.

“She liked you too.”

“You think?” she sounded so hopeful.

“I know.”

He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers.

“Where are we going?”

“The guys said they’d be at the arcade. We could join them if you want?”

“So long as you buy me dinner, I’m sold.”

He was getting quite hungry as well.

“The usual?”

She smiled and nodded, leaning over to kiss his cheek. 

He would never hear the end of it if his friends saw him at the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny Lawrence was a troubled kid, then a troubled teen, and although he hid this from most, there were a few people he allowed to truly know them.
> 
> Series of one-shots telling his story with one of those people. 
> 
> Part 2: Johnny and Noelia’s first meeting.

**Late August, 1982**

Noe held the toy gun with a firm grip and closed an eye as she pointed at her target. Around her, the loud voices of games and people having a good time seemed to fade away as she forced herself to focus on the game at hand. This was only a little bit better than just awkwardly wandering around on her own.

Firing in quick succession, she almost didn’t miss and smiled to herself, lowering the toy as the screen switched onto the next level. She noticed a girl standing nearby.

“Oh, sorry. Were you waiting to…?” she left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air and pointed at the screen.

The girl, who had been staring, shook her head, her pretty blond curls bouncing about.

“No! It’s fine, really. You were here first. I was just watching while I waited for my friends.” she took a tentative step forward, so they wouldn’t have to talk so loudly. “You’re really good.”

“Thanks.”She stepped aside and motioned for the girl to stand in her place. “You wanna keep going? I was getting bored anyway.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, shortening the distance further.

Noe smiled, handing her the gun. Her dad had talked her into going to that place to meet some people before classes started in september. This seemed like the perfect chance.

“I’m Ali.” the blond smiled in return, turning her eyes to the screen and shooting. She missed almost half of the targets.

“Noelia.”

“You new here?”

Noe nodded, but Ali probably couldn’t see it.

“Yeah. My family moved here from Winsconsin a few weeks ago.”

“Cool!” she gave her a swift look. “Must be a big change.”

“Yeah, but I think so far I like it.”

Ali kept on missing despite Noe’s gentle advice, and soon the game was over.

“Sorry I ruined it.” she said with a grimace, putting the gun down and moving aside to allow two boys no older than twelve to take her place.

Noe waved a hand.

“It’s just a game.”

“They’re right there! It’s not like real hunting, you know? They’re just a few feet away.”

The other girl shrugged, placing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Maybe it’s the bright colors? I find them pretty distracting.”

Ali gave the screen a pitiful look.

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Ali!” 

Both looked in the direction of the voice, finding a tall brunette waving next to a redhead. Ali turned to Noe.

“Hey, wanna join me and my friends? We were about to have a snack.”

“Are you sure they won’t mind?” It sounded good. Really good. Almost two weeks had passed since the move, and each day, Noe found herself lonelier than the last. Her parents had quickly settled into their new routines at their respectives jobs, and her little brother spent most of the day playing with the other kids from the complex. Noe had had so much free time in her hands that she had unpacked most of their stuff all on her own and even managed to fix a shelf in the kitchen without help.

“Yeah, c’mon! It’ll be fun!”

“Ok, but I’m getting some fries first.”

Ali motioned to her friends and guided Noe to the food stand, where she also ordered a slurpee. 

“So, which school are you going to?”

“West Valley. Sophomore year.”

Ali’s eyes widened.

“Me too! That’s so cool! Maybe we’ll share some classes.”

Great relief washed over Noe as she heard this. This girl seemed nice, plus It’d be great to know at least one person on her first day.

Hearing some commotion coming from the table Ali’s friends had sat at, both girls turned to look. The blonde groaned.

“Great.” her voice dripped sarcasm.

Noe looked on with curiosity as the table filled with a bunch of loud boys. 

“Friends of yours?”

“Friends of my friends, unfortunately.” the blue eyed girl answered.

One of the boys leaned closer to Ali’s friend and said something, to which the girl pointed in their direction and his head snapped up, zeroing in on them.

Caught, Noe hurried to look away and thanked the employee as he handed her the drink. Next to her, Ali’s mood had visibly damped. Of course, Noe wanted to ask, but she wasn’t too sure if it was the right moment for that. They had just met after all. Who knew the history there.

“Oh, great, now he’s coming over. Quick, pretend you’re with me.”

“ _ I am _ with you.” Noe smiled, subtly raising her eyes to see the guy from before approaching. 

He was quite tall and seemed well built, his blond hair fell over his forehead, but they didn’t hide his blue eyes. Noe felt the straw falling back into the cup. He had to be pretty terrible, because otherwise she wouldn’t understand why Ali seemed to hate him so. He shouldn’t have a right to look so good.

He looked at her as he approached and crocked his head to the side, smirking. She looked away, embarrassed for getting caught.

Luckily, he walked past them, but she could feel his eyes on her, almost burning her. It was something she thought happened in her mom’s novels only.

Her new friend suddenly looked at her, seeming like she was trying to make a choice.

Noe was about to ask her when something collided with her back, sending her forward. Ali caught her by the arms, and Noe gasped as the icy contents of the cup spilled over her shirt, its cold contents against her hot skin causing a small shock.

“Seriously, Johnny?!”

“What?! It was an accident!” 

Ali looked as convinced of that as of the existence of Santa.

“Right. Just like you.”

Noe put the cup on the counter and looked down.

“Crap.” she muttered.

Ali was pushed back as another figure imposed itself into her line of vision.

“Hey, you okay there?” she looked up to find the blond guy again. His expression shone with excitement, which she found suspicious. “It really was an accident.”

“Yeah, don’t worry.” she waved him away, looking down again at her shirt. 

“Here, let me buy you another.” he offered quickly.

The blonde girl jumped back in and pushed the guy, Johnny, away with a hip thrust.

“You do that, jerk.”

“It was an accident!” he defended again, raising both hands.

She ignored him.

“C’mon. I’ll help you clean up.”

Noe let Ali take her hand and guide her to the bathroom without a word.

Looking back, she caught Johnny grinning from ear to ear at their retreating forms. He winked and she rolled her eyes half-heartedly.

_ Boys. _

* * *

**Johnny PoV**

"Play nice." He had muttered to his boys under his breath and through clenched teeth as Ali Mills and her cute, new friend approached the group.

He stood up from his place at the edge of the table, his eyes never straying from the girl.

She was pretty. Petite, olive skin, rosy cheeks and eyes so dark they were almost black, except for those bright green flecks. Her curls hung loose down to her shoulders, which were exposed.

Maybe he could take a break from his attempts at wooing Ali, it wasn't really working anyways.

Ali stopped in front of them, but only addressed her friends.

"Girls, this is Noelia. Noelia, meet Barbara and Susan."

They both smiled and greeted the new girl, which she returned warmly as her eyes drifted to him and his friends.

Johnny took his chance, striding towards her. 

"Hey, I'm Johnny." He shook her hand, gazing into her eyes. He felt a rush, but quickly shook it off. "These are Jimmy, Bobby, Dutch and Tommy."

"Hi everyone." Her voice was soft, but easily heard, even with the commotion around them. 

"Look," he pulled her out of Ali's grip fairly easily and to the place he had saved for her next to Bobby. "I got your order for you, and another drink."

She smiled at him, like he was some sort of angel or something.

"That's very kind but you didn't have to."she reached for her pocket. "Please let me repay you for the drink."

"No, no I can't." He raised his hands, taking a step back. Jimmy and Dutch were laughing silently behind Noelia while Ali glared at them, arms crossed and looking like she had sucked on a lemon. She was the only one of the female group who seemed to see through their bullshit. "I spilled the drink on you-"

"It was an accident."she interrupted.

"And ruined your clothes-"

"On accident."

"It's just a drink, Noelia." He liked saying her name.

She stared at him for a few seconds, and Johnny felt like a small kid when they got praise. That unadulterated rush of pride and self-worth that boosted anyone's ego ran through him after so long as she finally nodded.

"Okay. Thanks." She sat at the table, and he was quick to follow up and take the space to her left. 

Ali sat on the opposite side next to Barb and gave him a warning glance.

_ Don't mess her up or else... _

He chuckled internally and turned to listen as Noelia answered Susan's question.

She opened up slowly but steadily, and seemed to be hitting it off quite well.

"So, your parents moved here for work?" It was Bobby who asked, playing around with his straw. "What do they do?"

She swallowed her fry before replying:

"Mom's a dentist and dad's a surgical nurse."

Johnny snickered as Dutch, Tommy and Jimmy laughed. The girls and Bobby rolled their eyes.

"Your dad's a  _ nurse _ ?!" Dutch asked, almost in tears.

It was funny, but not that funny. Then again, Dutch could laugh at almost anything when he was as high as he was at the moment.

Noelia crossed her arms over her chest, her face going from angelic to malevolent as she glared at him.

"Yeah. Got a problem?"

Dutch ceased his laughter long enough to give her an obvious look as he gestured with his hands, like that would help get his point across.

"C'mon. That's a woman's job."

"So is being a hairdresser, which explains how you're so good at bleaching your hair." Ali spoke up without so much as a glance, finding her drink more interesting.

Johnny and the others outright laughed at this, including the girls. Noelia looked down as her shoulders shook, and then sent Ali a grateful look.

Johnny watched her for a moment and then at Dutch, his demeanor turning cold as he shook his head once in warning.

_ You're gonna ruin my chances. _

Susan got up.

“I’m bored. I’ll go find a game.”

The other two got up, and after a discreet nod from the leader, so did the cobras. Ali turned back to Noe.

“Wanna come?”

The new girl checked her wrist watch and grimaced.

“I don’t think so. My dad’s picking me up soon.”

The blond’s face fell slightly.

“Oh, well, okay.” she perked up immediately after. “We’re throwing a party at the beach on saturday, to celebrate the end of the summer. You should come.”

“I think I can do that. Or I’ll see you at school.”

Ali nodded, and with quick words, they were all gone.

The girl turned and jumped, placing a hand to her chest. Johnny noticed her nails were painted black and slightly chipped.

“Sorry, I thought everyone left.”

He placed his elbow on the table and leaned against it.

“Thought I’d keep you company.” he smiled charmingly. It was the smile he used to suck up to the other parents in Encino.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go with your friends? I won’t wait long or anything.”

Discreetly, he scooted closer to her. He mustn’t have done such a good job, since she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I’m perfect here, hot stuff.”

She snorted softly, and the blush that rose to her cheeks wasn’t as deep as he was used to getting from other girls.

“Do you come here often?” she asked him suddenly, turning all her attention to him. He was slightly caught off guard. After a moment, Johny started talking, and she listened. 

She asked. He answered.

She asked. He answered. She listened.

She turned on the bench to face him, one leg on each side of the metal seat as he spoke of some of his favourite spots around the place.

He found it strange, but she truly seemed to be paying attention to what he said. She didn’t seem bored as he spoke, nodding along and making comments or side questions here and there, her rapt eyes on him, like being worthy of such magnitude of attention made sense. Like it was no effort to her. 

He stared at her here and there. From the posture, to the way her long, flowy skirt framed her legs, to the hands which now laid on the bench right in front of her. Goosebumps seemed to be raising in her arms, so he did something odd, and instead of being cheeky and telling her to scoot over to him, he took off his red jacket and handed it to her.

Her hair flew with the breeze too, some of it getting to her face. She’d catch locks with those slender fingers and push them away to no avail, but it didn’t seem to annoy her in the least.

Eventually, the disconcert settled, then faded and he recovered his balls, finally asking about her too. It seemed only fair, and part of him was genuinely curious.

“So, you’ve been living here for long?”

“No, we just moved in some weeks ago.”

“And wha-”

“Noe!” a honk followed the yell, and she looked to her left as he looked to his right and caught a glimpse of a man waving from the inside of a car.

“That’s my dad. I gotta go.” she stood up and took off the jacket, handing it back to him. Up on her feet, the multicolored lights seemed to caress her, creating a kaleidoscopic halo around her silhouette. She grabbed her empty cup, cardboard plate and looked at him like they were old friends already. “Do you go to West Valley too?”

He nodded and she smiled brightly, like the news was delightful to her.

“That’s great! I’ll see you around, Johnny.”

Was that the first time she said his name out loud? It sounded nice.

“Yeah. See you.”

She departed then, walking with a sprint, stopping once to throw her trash in a can, then a second time before entering the car to turn and wave at him, and got in. He blinked, a group of nerds got in the way, and when they moved the car was long gone.

Some snickers bought him back to earth.

“What happened there, Johnny?” Dutch and Jimmy approached him, evil glints in their eyes. “Was it love at first sight? Are you gonna burst into song now?”

Johnny rolled his eyes and swiftly swept Dutch’s leg. He almost fell on his ass.

“Nah, man.” he shrugged. “She’s hot. I may ask her out once or twice, you know; get some experience before I ask Ali again.”

Jimmy nodded, like it made as much sense as their theory about the pyramids.

“She’s a Reseda girl, after all.”

“Mm.” He stood up from the bench and stretched before putting on his jacket again.

As he followed his friends back in, cracking jokes and laughing, he felt a peculiar scent.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but it reminded him of a bakery early in the morning, when everything is just out of the oven. It was nice.

His group got together again and he quickly jumped in, making sure to be the center of attention.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from an angsty prompt list I re-blogged on my Tumblr @masonsbitch  
> This is canon, and I'll probably make some more.

**#12: "I want to know you" or "why won't you let me know you?"**

John's fingers drummed against the wheel while he waited for Noelia to come out the school.

They were going to the beach, despite the dropping temperatures, upon her request. He would've preferred to catch a movie or go to Golf 'n Stuff, but it was her turn to choose he supposed.

The music stopped, so he took the cassette out and turned it around, inserting it back in. 

He saw her walking out with Susan. He watched her for a moment, loose hair blowing in the wind, skirt slapping against her legs, his red cobra jacket around her shoulders, partly because she had forgotten her own and the morning air had been chilly, partly so other punks would know better than to try and make a move on her again.

She didn't need to know the story behind he second reason.

She waved her friend goodbye and walked towards his car just as he was about to honk.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

She opened the door of his firebird and got in, placing her backpack and books underneath the seat.

"I had some questions for Mr.Wilson." she was talking about the chimestry teacher. It was one of the few subjects she liked. "About the assignment, you know?"

He knew there was  _ an  _ assignment, but he hadn't bothered to listen to what it was.

"Yeah, totally, right."

She giggled and rolled her eyes, putting on her seatbelt. She always did that, but he had yet to make a comment on it. He was just a bit offended though; he was an excellent driver.

He pulled out of the parking lot (maybe over the speed limit) and set them on the way down to the coast.

"So," she said, extending the vowel. "My mom's been asking when you're coming over."

He felt his throat starting to close up. He shrugged.

"Soon, I guess."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

He half expected her to finally explode, but instead, she just stared at him. It made Johnny feel uneasy.

Stopping at a red light, he turned to her. She had a blank look on her face, and he could've sworn the green of her eyes shone like a neon light. Her eyes gave him the creep sometimes; they were so...shiny.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Her voice reflected the look on her face.

_ Shit. _

"You look all,..."

"I look what?"

"You know," he gestured over his face with his hand. "Like that."

"Like what, Johnny?"

_ Good god. _ Was she related to Sensei Kreese or something?

"Nothing, nothing."

"Ah."

She turned back front with her arms crossed, a sour look on her face. Johnny sighed, knowing he had ruined it yet again. 

He held excepted her to-

"I don't wanna go to the beach anymore." There it was. "Take me home, please."

"No."

"Johnny…"

"Shut it."

"Take. Me. Home."

"Can you just shut it for five minutes?!" She didn't look any happier when he raise his voice. He shrunk back a little. "Just, just let me find a place to park, okay? Somewhere quiet, so we can talk."

Noelia almost said something back, but instead she went back to her previous position.

He had an idea, so he took a turn and drove them towards the mall.

Johnny could practically feel the questions swimming in that head of hers, but was thankful when she remained silent.

He parked the car on the inside lot and turned to her. Maybe it wasn't the best place, he realized, but it'd have to do.

Noe seemed to be thinking the same, if her arched eyebrow was any indication.

Making himself as comfortable as possible, he placed a hand on the back of her seat, fingers brushing against the nape of her neck.

"You know, the first few times you didn't want to meet my parents I thought you were just scared." She said, tone low.

Oh, he was. 

"I've met them before. What's the big deal?"

Those haunting eyes settled on him, and now he had no option but to look back.

"That doesn't count." She sighed, her cold fury turning into near exhaustion. "I meant an official meeting, so you can talk for more than five minutes, and you can meet my brother. He's been dying to since I told him about the karate." She looked away. "Is there a reason why you don't wanna come home?"

Her tone left plenty of implications hanging in the air, none of which Johnny liked. 

The truth was, he had run into Noe's parents once before. Her dad one time when she felt sick and the school called her home. Johnny had taken her to the nurse and stayed by her side. Her mom when they bumped into each other on that very same mall once; he had been on his way to the food court where Dutch and Jimmy were waiting for him. They hadn't been dating for long at the time, so he got introduced as a friend rather than her potential boyfriend.

They scared her, Noe's parents. They were nice, both of them; very gentle in their mannerisms and kinda quiet. Noe had said they weren't perfect, but to him they were, especially her dad.

If he went over to have dinner with the Dávalos, it meant he'd have to take her to his own home soon after, right?

He really liked Noe, and he wanted her to meet his mom for sure (especially since Laura had finally realized that it was a girl that had her son so distracted lately), but there was the imminent risk of Sid. His closest friends had met the bastard only a few times; Johnny preferred to have them over on days he was absolutely sure Sid would be back home late or not at all. If he were to take Noe home, his mom, always the hopeful kind, would want Sid to be there.

He would scare her away. Despite her occasional outbursts, Noelia had a pretty soft personality. Sid would walk over her like an old, ragged carpet and send her running away from Johnny.

He couldn't stand meeting her normal, nice parents knowing it meant he'd also have to take her to that hellhole he called home. 

Also, Noe was his first serious girlfriend; he didn't really know what he was doing.

He wanted to tell her all that, but he wasn't a pansy loser, so he kept it in as best as he could.

"I-"

"Do you-?" 

They spoke at the same time. He gestured for her to go first.

"Are you, um, serious about us?" She asked, her hesitance making him feel further like shit. "Because if you're not, I wanna know now,...please."

He smiled briefly at the last part.

"Of course I am." He hadn't at first. But after that first day he wanted to talk with her again, and after that first date he wanted another, and after their first kiss he wanted another. Soon, he forgot all about his plan to woo Ali Mills, and found himself wanting to do everything and go everywhere with Noelia Dávalos by his side.

She tilted her head to the side, giving him an encouraging look.

**"I want to know you."** He blurted out before he could fully process it. "It's just...new...to me." He looked away and cleared his throat. "I don't think your parents will like me." He mumbled the last part. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. At least he gave her one of the real reasons he had been stalling for so long.

He felt her soft lips on his cheek. When he didn't turn to look at her, Noe pressed her forehead to his temple and grabbed one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers.

"I know they're gonna love you." She kissed his cheek again.

His heart sped up, her warmth just too inviting to even consider pulling away.

He grabbed her and turned her around easily, sitting her on his lap. It was a thight fit on the driver's seat, but she didn't seem to mind.

"And you know everything?" 

"I know more than you." She faked smugness. 

"That's setting the bar real low."

Noe rolled her eyes.

"You're smarter than you think Johnny."

She said it with nonchalance, like it was old news, but it lifted his spirits so much it was pathetic.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" She asked him then, settling into his arms. Johnny didn't answer. She placed her hand on his cheek. "I wanna know you too, but I can't always guess what's on your mind." She leaned forward a bit. "But whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I know." He did, but he still had a lock on his throat and chains holding his feet down.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply. One of her hands rested against his chest, the other on the back of his neck. His own hands longed to wander over her body, but stayed at her waist. He did press her up against him. She sighed and opened her mouth. 

A knock against his window made them jump. With his heart on his throat, he looked to find a middle aged woman glaring at them.

He rolled his eyes. Noelia giggled.

"Sorry, we only do private shows on the weekends." He said, loud enough for the hag to hear.

She seemed more appalled by that, and walked away with a hand to her heart and a loud huff towards her sheepish looking husband.

Noelia pressed her face into his chest, shaking.

Smirking, he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, I guess the mood's ruined now."

"You think?" She looked up, face red and full of mischief. "Why are we here anyways?"

His face softened.

"My mom's birthday is coming up; I was wondering if you'd help me with her present. You did say you didn't want to go to the beach anymore, right?"

She lit up like a Christmas tree and kissed him again, squirming her way out of the car, her bony elbow digging into his side. A quick 'sorry' was all he got.

He'd still stall going to her home to the best of his ability, and he'd certainly keep her away from his home for as long as possible, but maybe this was a step in the right direction.

Her smile was contagious, so with one to match, he got out of the car, took her hand, and led her inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny’s temper gets the better of him, which leads to an accident.

**Early August, 1984**

Tommy's and Dutch's yells of encouragement were all Johnny could hear as he threw a punch at the twerp's stomach. 

His vision had clouded, the bright colours around him turned into an overwhelming red, and his blood ran so hot he felt like his touch could burn a person.

The more the punched and kicked, the angrier he felt. Instead of losing energy, he gained.

"I'm-I’m...I'm sorry, man." The twerp, Josh from history class panted, face red, blood dripping out of his mouth. "I didn't know-"

"What?!" He asked, spitting the word. "You didn't know she's my girl? Or you didn't know I was nearby?"

"I-I-I...please.."

"Well, now you know, asshole!" He kicked his side and the twerp went down.

Johnny didn't like it when other guys tried flirting with his Noe, and there was no way he'd stand by and let him trash talk her just because she turned him down.

No one messed with him, and certainly no one messed with his sweet girl.

He grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up.

"You're gonna apologise, you hear me?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry."

"Not to me, zit face. To  _ her _ ."

He had the audacity to look confused. 

"But she didn-"

Johnny wouldn't let him finish. He pushed Josh to the floor.

He didn't care that Noe hadn't been there to hear the shit he had said about her: he was apologising to her anyways.

It twisted his guts, the crap he had said to his friends about Noe. Like she was a trashy piece of dumb ass.

Johnny could still see him, laughing and making grand gestures to his friends as he and the cobra kais walked by behind them. A guttural sound was all the warning Josh got before Johnny had gotten his hands on his shoulders and pulled him back from the couch, his friends keeping anyone who might intervene away.

His fist connected with the guy's face.

"Johnny? Johnny, stop! Leave him alone!" He heard Noe in the distance.

He kept going, the more he punched the more he could hear his filthy words.

Something pulled his arm, but he barely registered it.

He went for another punch, throwing his arm back, his elbow connected with something hard and then his fists broke the skin of the twerp’s face.

Johnny stopped, hearing a high pitched shriek and the dry sound of something falling.

The colours returned to his world.

"Jeez! You okay, Noe?" He heard Jimmy ask.

_ "No." _ He thought, his overpowering fury replaced now by dread.  _ "No. No. No. No. No." _

He didn't want to turn around but he did anyways, his body out of his control.

He felt cold when he saw Noelia flat on her ass, a hand covering the lower half of her face. Ali and Dutch knelt on each of her sides.

Her legs were outstretched in front of her, her free hand flat against the floor, holding herself up.

A whimper escaped her, amplified by the deafening silence around them.

"C'mon, let me see." Ali's voice was gentle as she reached for the hand that hid her face. Carefully, she took it and moved it out of the way. Her nose was bleeding and the skin around it had turned red. The blond girl hissed and turned a murderous glare on him. "Now you've really done it, Johnny."

He felt like his legs were made of jelly. He wanted to approach her and make sure she was alright, but he couldn't move.

Dutch took Noe's face in his hands and inspected it.

"Hey, it's nothing, alright? It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt." He sounded like someone trying to calm down a child before they began wailing.

She nodded, taking in a sharp breath. He tilted her face back and cleaned the blood off of her with a swipe of his finger. It was to no avail, for more pore out.

Johnny stood up. He was scared all of a sudden. Not even Sid had ever scared him so much. Usually, back when he was still a skinny loser and Sid lost his temper, Johny would feel a horrible chill run over his body, but it was soon mixed with anger and frustration.

At the present moment, a deeper chill ran through him, anguish, regret and desperation battling in his head.

He took a step towards her.

“Noe,...babe,...”

Her head snapped in his direction and the hot summer air froze him to his soul. 

She was scared of him. He could see it clearly; in the way the muscles on her face twitched and how she took half a step back towards Ali, her hand finding her friend’s. He could see it in the way she swallowed loudly. He could see it in her eyes, wide, dilated, frantically moving everywhere, trying to avoid his own but failing over and over.

It was a look he’d never thought he’d get from her. She could’ve stabbed him twenty-three times and it would’ve hurt less.

She trembled and Ali wrapped her arms around her waist, bringing her against her side. She kept her mouth shut for once, as did everyone else around them. Their friends and classmates waited in tense silence to see how the couple crumbled down.

“I didn’t mean to.” he tried to walk over to her, but realized his feet were rooted to the ground.

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Her eyes were full of tears and he couldn’t blame her. He knew how hard he could hit, his own friends hated fighting against him in class, and Noe was the least violent person he knew. She knew nothing of the way of the fist, and had made it very clear she wasn’t interested in it. 

He can’t ask her to punch him back and make it even. He wanted to hug her though, so he found the strength to move.

“No.”

He froze again, like she’s a puppeteer handling his strings. He couldn’t look away from her eyes, but he desperately wanted to. She was so shaken, so scared.

Scared of him.

Johnny wanted to vomit.

She had warned him to be careful, many times.

_ “You could hurt someone by accident one day.” _ she had said as they walked through the mall hand in hand, killing time.

Barb stepped in front of her and grabbed her arm.

“C’mon, my dad can take a look at your face.”

Susan joined her. Noe looked down and turned silently. Dutch let go of her and took a step back, unusually solem. Her friends all gave him one final deadly glare before guiding her out. Some people parted to let her pass.

Johnny could feel all those eyes on him, but he cared only about the pair that wouldn’t look at him anymore.

“C’mon, show’s over.” Bobby clapped his hands and headed over to him. “C’mon, man. Let 's go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm changing the story title, don't judge me


End file.
